“Run, Run, as fast as you can, you can’t catch me…” The Gingerbread books are classics and I always love to read a book that I know my children will cherish and read to their own children one day. Craft activities to do after a read-aloud can be a great way to work collaboratively and have fun. Here are some easy DIY gingerbread crafts you can do with your kids after reading together.
Whenever I read a good story book to my children or my students, I always love to do a follow-up activity or craft. By adding in a participation element, it increases a child’s engagement, and supports fine motor control. Sensory motor development is a great way to create connections to a book.
Create your DIY Gingerbread masterpiece
Step 1: Gather materials from around your home! Sandpaper makes a great base for your gingerbread template. It is an excellent way for children to discriminate texture for example; rough versus smooth. You may want to use cinnamon sticks as a coloring tool. This can aid in the sensory and fine motor development of your child and will leave your home smelling incredbile!
Step 2: Create your gingerbread man, girl, baby or boy! Allow your child to utilize the materials available or give them ideas to seek out materials that can be used around the home. I like to keep things open-ended, meaning give your child the opportunity to explore and use their imagination cultivating creativity skills and to think independently.
Follow up activities
Scented crafts give children the opportunity to utilize sensory motor skills. Make gingerbread smelling playdough to continue the theme going. To get the recipe, click here to our post about Fall scented play dough.
Doing a craft activity based on a story ingrains the story into your child’s memory. This will help them recall the story when they are asked about it later on. Participating in crafts is a fun way to spend time with your children, especially on a rainy day, or a weekend. A fun idea is to put these crafts into a scrapbook to save over the years.
Photographs taken by Ben Starkman of BGS Images
